NACTU
National Council of Trade Unions
Founded1986
HeadquartersJohannesburg, South Africa
Location
Members
397,000
Key people
Narius Moloto, general secretary
AffiliationsITUC
Websitewww.nactu.org.za

The National Council of Trade Unions (NACTU) is a national trade union center in South Africa.

History

The federation was formed by the merger of the Council of Unions of South Africa (CUSA) and the Azanian Confederation of Trade Unions (AZACTU) in 1986.[1]: 488  In its early years, the federation was strongly influenced by the black consciousness movement, but was divided in its attitude to the African National Congress.[2]

In 1994, the federation affiliated to the International Confederation of Free Trade Unions (ICFTU), the first post-apartheid South African union to do so, and it remains affiliated to its successor, the International Trade Union Confederation.[2] In 2006, the federation began negotiating a merger with the rival Federation of Unions of South Africa. They formed an umbrella organisation, the South African Confederation of Trade Unions, in 2007, but it achieved little, and the two federations remained independent.[3]

In 2001, the newly founded Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union (AMCU) affiliated to NACTU, soon becoming its largest member. AMCU argued that unions should remain independent of political parties, which caused tensions in 2014, when NACTU endorsed the Economic Freedom Fighters and the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania. AMCU resigned in 2017, but the federation's total membership figure of 400,000 has not been updated.[2] Much of its membership is low paid, and it is particularly strong in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng, Limpopo and Mpumalanga.[4]

Affiliates

Current affiliates

The NACTU has 20 affiliated unions.

Union Abbreviation Founded Membership (2011)[5]
Banking, Insurance, Finance and Allied Workers' Union BIFAWU 2009
Building, Construction and Allied Workers' Union BCAWU 1975 47,000
Entertainment Catering Commercial and Allied' Workers Union Of South Africa ECCAWUSA 1989
Federal Council of Retail and Allied Workers FEDCRAW 1984 4,829
HOTELICCA HOTELICCA 1978 6,098
Industrial, Commercial and Allied Workers' Union ICAWU 3,213
Industrial and Commercial Workers' Union of South Africa ICU
Inqubela Phambili Trade Union ITU
Labour Equity General Workers' Union of South Africa LEWUSA 2002
Metal and Electrical Workers' Union of South Africa MEWUSA 1961 17,180
Media Workers' Association of South Africa MWASA 1973 2,347
National Public Service Workers' Union NUPSWU 1998 7,142
National Security, Commercial and General Workers' Union NASECGWU
National Services and Allied Workers' Union NASAWU 1993
National Union of Food, Beverage, Wine, Spirit and Allied Workers NUFBWSAW 1993 10,214
Professional Educators' Union PEU 1919 15,780
South African Chemical Workers' Union SACWU 1980 16,055
South African Private Security Workers' Union SAPSWU 2002
Transport and Allied Workers' Union TAWU 1972 13,085
Transport and Omnibus Workers' Union TOWU 1989 2,580

Former affiliates

Union Abbreviation Founded Left Reason not affiliated Membership (1988)[6]
Association of Mineworkers and Construction Union AMCU 2001 2018 Disaffiliated N/A
Black Allied Mining and Construction Workers' Union BAMCWU 1990 Expelled 4,119
Black Domestic Workers' Union BDWU 1985 300
Black Electronic and Electrical Workers' Union BEEWU 1989 Merged into MEWUSA 520
Black Trade Union of Transnet Workers BLATU 1981 1998 Merged into SARWHU
Black University Workers' Association BUWA 1972 1992 Merged into MESHAWU
Brushes and Cleaners Workers' Union BCWU 1982 1993 Merged into NASAWU 3,000
Domestic Workers' Association of South Africa DWASA 1974 3,000
Engineering and Allied Workers' Union of South Africa EAWUSA 1963 1989 Merged into MEWUSA 3,000
Electrical and Allied Workers' Trade Union of South Africa EAWTUSA 1987 1989 Merged into MEWUSA 15,000
Federated Mining Union FMU 3,100[7]
Federation of Municipality, Health and Allied Workers FEDMAWU 1992 Merged into MESHAWU
Food and Beverage Workers' Union FBAWU 1979 1993 Merged into NUFBWSAW 17,000
Municipality, Education, State, Health And Allied Workers Union MESHAWU 1992 N/A
Natal Liquor and Catering Workers' Union NLCWU 1928 Transferred to FEDUSA 6,737
National Clothing and Textile Workers' Union of South Africa NACTWUSA 2001 N/A
National Transport Movement NTM 2012 2017 Transferred to SAFTU N/A
National Union of Farm Workers NUF 418
National Union of Furniture and Allied Workers NUFAW 1956 Dissolved 20,000
National Union of Wine, Spirits and Allied Workers NUWASW 1978 1993 Merged into NUFBWSAW 4,881
Parliamentary Staff Union PSU
South African Laundry, Dry Cleaning and Dyeing Workers' Union SALDCDWU 1972 1993 Merged into NASAWU 500
South African Health and Allied Workers' Union SAHAWU
Steel, Engineering and Allied Workers' Union SEAWU 1979 5,500
Textile Workers' Union TWU 1973 1990 Expelled 400
United African Motor and Allied Workers' Union UAMAWU 1980 1989 Merged into MEWUSA 8,000
Vukani Black Guards and Allied Workers' Union VBGAWU 1981 1993 Merged into NASAWU 2,000

General Secretaries

1986: Phiroshaw Camay
1989: Cunningham Ngcukana
2004: Mahlomola Skosana
2000s: Manene Samela
2010s to 2021: Narius Moloto

See also

References

  1. ^ Pretorius, Fransjohan (2014). A History of South Africa: From the Distant Past to the Present Day. Hatsfield, Pretoria: Protea Book House. ISBN 978-1-86919-908-1.
  2. ^ a b c Blackburn, Daniel (2021). Trade Unions of the World (PDF). ICTUR. Retrieved 25 March 2021.
  3. ^ "Federation of Unions of South Africa (FEDUSA)". South African History Online. Retrieved 28 April 2021.
  4. ^ Ludman, Barbara; Stober, Paul (2004). The Mail & Guardian A-Z of South African Politics: The Essential Handbook. Jacana Media. ISBN 1770090231.
  5. ^ "COSATU's membership: All the facts". Politics Web. Retrieved 27 April 2021.
  6. ^ Kraak, Gerald (1993). Breaking the Chains. London: Pluto Press. ISBN 0745307051.
  7. ^ Figure is for 1987.

External links

Trade unions in South Africa
Political history of South Africa
Categories